Recruitment in 2013… Evolve… Like an IPhone…

Recruitment in 2013… Evolve… Like an IPhone…

It always amazes me at the rate and speed that our industry has evolved. I remember back in the mid-nineties when I was working solely from a phone, rolodex and a notebook. These days it’s a Iphone, MacBook Air and coffee shop.

In recent times we have seen the death of print media advertising. The rise of social media. The advent of cloud based solutions and the proliferation (I love that word, proliferation, but I did have to use spellcheck to get it right)… As I was saying, the proliferation… find me a blog post that has used the word proliferation four times before the end of the second paragraph – I dare you… so… and the proliferation (5 times) of skype based interviewing.

With these massive shifts in thinking and ways of working, over a relatively short period it makes sense to make some bold, cutting edge predictions on the probable advancements in our humble industry over the course of 2013.

So, here goes…

1. QR Code Resumes – Why not? I can get a restaurant menu on QR Code, I can check into my flight with a QR Code, so why not resumes? Just imagine it… Bus stop advertising… Need a Payroll Officer – scan our QR Codes below for the best talent on the market… What do you think? Too many privacy law breaches? The point is that the technology is there – let’s find away to use it!

2. rbay™ – Yes… you read right… rbay™! Seriously, you can but almost anything on ebay™ – except people. So, ladies and gentleman I give you rbay™. (Please note I have trademarked the name, so don’t try to steal my idea). Yes, rbay™ an online market to buy and sell people… No… no… stick with me here. It’s an website set up with categories to represent different career groups. You post an ad with the candidate’s profile/resume – set a reserve price, set a buy it now price and relax for 7-10 Days. Easy. I know… I know… slavery has been abolished in most countries for 150 years – give, or take – but rbay™ is hardly a mechanism for slavery… is it?

3. UN Working Visa – How good would that be? An International UN based committee decides on high demand career streams. If you are qualified with an internationally recognised accreditation you receive an international visa, with the right to work anywhere (that’s right… anywhere) in your field. Nurses, Doctors, Teachers, Mining Engineers etc… etc. It’s simply one of the best ideas I’ve ever come up with!

OK, time to be a little serious. It’s pretty clear that none of the above predictions are likely to happen in 2013… maybe 2014… but not this year. My simple message is this. Technology and ideas are moving quickly – bloody quickly. How are you using the technology and innovation available to you, to differentiate yourself from your competitors?

Your employer – and the success of your desk – relies on you coming up with new ideas. They aren’t always going to be right… you may be ahead of your time… you might be right off the reservation. But keep thinking, keep innovating and keep evolving… Our Industry depends on it…